Associations Between Sleep Quality and Metabolic Syndrome in a Brazilian Population: A Primary and Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Poor sleep quality can affect cardiovascular health and is considered a significant risk factor for the development of risk factors for Metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to investigate possible associations between sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the MetS. This was a cross-sectional that comprised data from 208 patients. Biochemical and anthropometric parameters were assessed. The identification of MetS was performed according to the International Diabetes Federation guidelines. The quantitative variables were described with the support of the BioEstat 5.3 software. To assess the association of the studied variables with the diagnosis of MetS, the Mann-Whitney and Chi-square (n x n) statistical tests were used. The level of significance considered was 5%. According to the International Diabetes Federation criteria, 111 (53,36%) men and women presented MetS. There were no statically significant differences between the groups with or without sleep disorders and the values of waist circumference (p=0.6996), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p=0.7940), triglycerides levels (p=0.8703), blood pressure values (p= 0.9851, and p=0.9795 for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively), and glycemia (p=0.5351). Eighty-eight volunteers (42%) presented sleep quality dysfunction, with the highest proportion observed among individuals affected by MetS (p=0.0019). Our results indicate an association between sleep quality and the prevalence of MetS . Therefore, sleep quality could be evaluated in patients with MetS so that the therapeutic strategy would not be limited to the intervention in biochemical and anthropometric factors.